Metallica are performing on a giant platform built for 1.5million music fans who flock to the 11-day Festival d’été de Quebec in Canada

Today, it rises above an audience of more than 100,000 — one of the largest Metallica will play to on their world tour — and also provides us with a pocket of peace to catch up behind the scenes.

Lars Ulrich, Metallica’s founder member and drummer, parks himself comfortably on a black sofa. In a black room. Dressed in black. Naturally.

Talking about the audience, he says with a smirk: “Yeah, they’ve always been a bit extra-mental here.
“They’re very, very, passionate. Some places, the dial goes up to 11. Here, in Quebec, it goes to 12.”

The metal giants are at the top of the bill, joining acts as varied as Gorillaz, the Backstreet Boys and Flume

‘Don’t they know we’re a bunch of old men?’

Lars says: “No way. I mean, Kendrick Lamar was on a few days ago and The Who just last night. It’s like when you play those deeply embedded European festivals like Glastonbury and Roskilde, you always find that diversity.

“It’s just one more element that gives this city, this festival, that European flair. It’s a distinctly different thing happening right here.”

The four members of Metallica, now in their early fifties, are also reaching the half-century mark on their Worldwired Tour in support of No1 album Hardwired . . . To Self-Destruct.

The last time we caught up was in London at the album’s release party.

Lars said: says: “Yeah, we are coming back to the UK in the ass-end of October and we’re doing indoor shows too, which we haven’t done for like eight or nine years”

He says: “Well firstly I’m Danish, not English, so there was no kneeling and no swords involved. And I’m not a sir, although you can call my dad “sir” when you meet him.”

The “snot-nosed kid”, as he described himself, seems to have established a bond with the Danish Crown Prince Frederik who bestowed the Knight’s Cross Of The Order Of Dannebrog honour on him at a banquet in San Francisco.

Lars says: “He stood up and started talking about someone in the room who was very creative and brought a special attention to Denmark.

The largest outdoor stage in North America on the historic site of the Battle of Quebec is a pretty monumental one – even by Metallica’s standards

“It’s just the best escape in the world. I’ve been there four times in a row now. I honestly book my whole year around it. It’s where I can truly disconnect.”

Being involved in music, talking about it and sharing it still gets Lars pumped. That’s why he has turned his hand to radio DJing.

He says: “I’m three months into doing my show every week on Apple Music Beats 1. I love being engulfed, embedded in music.

“I get to interview awesome people like Iggy Pop and bands like Royal Blood.”

So, who wouldn’t he have discovered if it wasn’t for the show?

“There’s a great band out of Denmark called Baby In Vain. Oh, and there’s this one band from Afghanistan called Kabul Dreams who actually have a bit of Britpop in them.”

Bouncing slightly on the sofa, he adds: “There is just so much out there to delve into.” Metallica will soon be back in Britain to play a string of gigs in cities including Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester and London.

Today the main stage usefully held back the single largest audience – over 100,000 – that Metallica will play to on their world tour

And Lars just can’t wait. He says: “Yeah, we are coming back to the UK in the ass-end of October and we’re doing indoor shows too, which we haven’t done for like eight or nine years.

“To have been able to play the Glastonburys, the Readings and all the festivals, then everything from Wembley Stadium to Knebworth to The House Of Vans . . . we’ve covered the whole thing.”

He adds: “Having that kind of relationship with English music fans for 33 years, yeah, since the spring of ’84 when we first played The Marquee, we are just really looking forward to coming back for more.”

most read in music

OUT ON TOUR

Tickets for Beyonce and Jay Z's Glasgow tour date on sale TODAY

'ROCK 'N' ROLL INJURY'

Flight of the Conchords cancel Glasgow show leaving fans devastated

CAUGHT LIVE

Rockers Yes share moving tribute to late band member with fans at Glasgow gig